HOUSING SHORTAGE – We have had a drastic housing shortage. We don’t come close to meeting the needs of our workforce or low income residents. Our neighbors and friends are being forced out.

NORTH BAY FIRES – Due to the fires we are now in a critical housing crisis. Marin needs to be included in the emergency status designated by the State. Marin’s rent will be under heavy pressure from the 5,000 displaced people in Sonoma and Napa

TENANT LEGAL BACKLOG – Legal Aid of Marin announces that, unless a case of eviction is already in court, Legal Aid does not have the resources to take on any other tenant protection work.

A benefit for Standing Rock legal defense funds was presented at the First Presbyterian Church of San Anselmo on March 4, 2017, featuring attorneys Larry Bragman and Ford Greene in conversation with Erin Schrode, all of whom were observer-participants at Standing Rock, December 2017. Also featuring Cherokee-Meits singer-songwriter Jane De Cuir.

The Indigenous Environmental Network and North Coast Rivers Alliance filed suit in U.S. District Court in Great Falls, Montana, challenging the presidential permit issued by Donald Trump allowing construction and operation of the Keystone XL Pipeline.

Stephan Volker, attorney for IEN and NCRA, filed the suit this week, alleging the State Department’s Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement fails to:

• provide a detailed and independent project purpose and need;

• analyze all reasonable alternatives to the project;

• study the project’s transboundary effects;

• disclose and fully analyze many of the project’s adverse environmental impacts;

• formulate adequate mitigation measures;

• respond adequately to comments.

Also, the complaint said the FSEIS was irredeemably tainted because it was prepared by Environmental Resource Management, a company with a substantial conflict of interest.

The suit also alleges that Trump’s permit violates the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

“President Trump is breaking established environmental laws and treaties in his efforts to force through the Keystone XL Pipeline, that would bring carbon-intensive, toxic, and corrosive crude oil from the Canadian tar sands, but we are filing suit to fight back,” said Tom Goldtooth, executive director of the Indigenous Environmental Network. “Indigenous peoples’ lands and waters are not here to be America’s environmental sacrifice zone.”

He continued, “For too long, the U.S. government has pushed around Indigenous peoples and undervalued our inherent rights, sovereignty, culture and our responsibilities as guardians of Mother Earth and all life, while fueling catastrophic extreme weather and climate change with an addiction to fossil fuels. The time has come to keep fossil fuels in the ground and shut down risky extreme energy projects like the tar sands that are poisoning our families, wildlife, water sources and destroying our climate.”

Frank Egger, president of The North Coast Rivers Alliance, said in a news release issued March 30: “Oil, water and fish do not mix. KXL poses an unacceptable risk to the Missouri River and its fisheries, including the nearly extinct Arctic grayling. No oil pipeline is safe. One major oil spill, and the Missouri River and adjacent aquifers would be polluted for generations.”

MARIN GREENS RECOMMEND MIKE COFFINO FOR MARIN SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE. – Mike Coffino, a deputy public defender for the County of Marin since 2003, is a lifelong outdoorsman and environmentalist. In recent years he has spent vacations volunteering on organic goat, sheep and vegetable farms in California, Montana, France and Italy. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in 1994 with a joint degree in law and philosophy, Mike returned to California by bicycle and lived for many years in Point Reyes station, often bike commuting to work at the Marin Civic Center. Mike helped build Table Top Farm in Point Reyes and is a member of MALT, the Point Reyes National Seashore Association, Marin Conservation League, and the Marin County Bicycle Coalition. Mike’s wife Kathleen is a former United States Peace Corps volunteer who taught soil conservation and improvement in Honduras. They have backpacked extensively in Peru, Chile and the Sierras and believe strongly in the importance of environmental preservation.http://www.coffinoforjudge.com/background

Recommendation for Marin Measure A:

MARIN GREENS RECOMMEND A YES VOTE ON MEASURE A, WITH RESERVATIONS.

MEASURE A: To support the health, education and safety of underserved children with approximately $12,000,000 in annual local funding the State cannot take away, shall County of Marin expand access to quality preschool education; provide healthcare including early screenings, vision, dental and behavioral/mental health services; expand afterschool/summer learning programs promoting reading/writing/math achievement; and provide affordable childcare for infants, toddlers and young children by enacting a 1/4% sales tax for 9 years with independent oversight/audits?

A “yes” vote will support the imposition of a one-quarter of one percent transactions and use tax. Marin Greens have some reservations about the regressive nature of the tax, which will disproportionately impact poorer families. However, Marin Greens are recommending a “yes” vote because of the benefits Measure A promises: improved access to quality preschool education, expanded after-school and summer learning programs, more affordable child care for infants, toddlers and young children, and expanded access to comprehensive health care services for all children.

A “yes” vote supports requiring voter approval to change the dedicated use of certain fees from hospitals used to draw matching federal money and fund Medi-Cal services. The initiative was also designed to require a two-thirds majority vote of the California Legislature to end the hospital fee program.

The question posed to voters by this Proposition is whether to increase the cigarette tax by $2.00 per pack, with equivalent increases on other tobacco products and electronic cigarettes. A “yes” vote supports the increase and a “no” vote opposes it.

A “yes” vote supports increasing parole and good behavior opportunities for felons convicted of nonviolent crimes and allowing judges, not prosecutors, to decide whether to try certain juveniles as adults in court.

A “yes” vote is a vote in favor of repealing most of the 1998 Proposition 227, the “English in Public Schools” Initiative, thus effectively allowing non-English languages to be used in public educational instruction.

A “yes” vote supports this measure encouraging the state’s elected officials to use their authority to overturn the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, potentially through an amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

A “yes” vote would be a vote in favor of requiring the use of condoms and other protective measures during the filming of pornographic films, as well as requiring pornography producers to pay for certain health requirements and checkups.

A “yes” vote supports prohibiting the possession of large-capacity ammunition magazines and requiring certain individuals to pass a background check in order to purchase ammunition, while a “no” vote opposes this proposal.

A “no” vote opposes changing the procedures governing state court appeals and petitions that challenge death penalty convictions and sentences, and would keep the current system for governing death penalty appeals and petitions.

Join us on Sunday, September 25, 2016 from 11am – 1pm. We will discuss and decided our positions on all of the statewide and county ballot measures on the November ballot. We will meet at the Good Earth, 201 Flamingo Road in Mill Valley.

Zhenya: Brought anti-Hillary flyer, suggested we plan to participate in July 4 2017 celebrations, wants to help with street actions. Supportive of a flyer comparing Green and Democratic positions.

Jim: Wants to take Marin Greens local positions. Two most important issues in Marin are traffic and housing. Figure out if there is a way we collaborate with Dominican University about voter registration and mobilization.

Marnie: Suggests we identify Greens running in the November elections.

Mimi: Grow the party through registration. Important to re-register Green elected officials and all Greens who left the party to vote for Bernie.

Tamela: Suggests we find young people to voter reg at local colleges.

7. Action Items Before November Election

Mimi: Identify Greens running in November 2016 election

Jim: Contact Paul DaSilva re College of Marin.

Marnie: Identify local election events where we could send a Marin Greens representative.

REQUIREMENTS: Candidates must live in MMWD’s Division III, which includes San
Geronimo Valley, incorporated Fairfax plus unincorporated Fairfax
neighborhoods, a portion of San Anselmo not including North West area, Ross,
Greenbrae, Kentfield, Kent Woodlands, and a portion of Larkspur North of Corte
Madera Creek and West of Highway 101, a portion of Larkspur South of
Corte Madera Creek and West of Bon Air Road and West of Skylark
Road, Watershed land lying North of Fairfax-Bolinas Road or contiguous with
towns in Division III and up to the Division IV boundary. See map on back.
Prospective candidates must confirm residency requirements and voter
registration requirements with the Marin County Elections Office.

RESPONSIBILITIES: The Board of Directors sets the policies for the activities and
affairs of MMWD. Board members are expected to attend all regular board
meetings on the first and third Wednesday of every month at 7:30 PM, and
additional meetings scheduled as needed. Board members also serve on
committees with regularly scheduled meetings. Applicants should anticipate
spending eight hours per week fulfilling board member commitments.

PROCESS: Applications are available online at www.marinwater.org and from the
District Secretary at the district office at 220 Nellen Avenue, Corte Madera. If you
have questions, contact Stephanie Eichner-Gross at 945-1448. Candidate
interviews with current board members will be scheduled December 6, 7, 8, 9,
10, or 11, 2012 in the MMWD Board Room. The Board of Directors plans to
appoint the selected candidate at a board meeting in December 2012.

FILING DEADLINE: A signed hard copy of the completed application must be
physically received by the Board Secretary by 4:30 PM, Tuesday, November
13, 2012. at the Board Secretary’s Office, MMWD, 220 Nellen Avenue, Corte
Madera, CA 94925. The District is not accepting emailed applications.
TERM OF OFFICE: The appointment will be effective until Dec. 31, 2014.The
Division III seat will be on the November 2014 ballot.